The present invention relates to an operation management apparatus in an information processing system and particularly to an operation monitoring system and operation management system under the condition that a storage apparatus is configured using a network such as a fiber channel and Ethernet (Ethernet is the registered trade mark of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.).
A computer and a storage apparatus used in an information processing system have been connected using ATAPI (ATA Packet Interface) and SCSI (Small Computer System Interface). In the ATAPI, only two storage apparatuses of a master device and a slave device can be connected to only one cable because of its specification and moreover since the connection distance is short, the ATAPI has generally been used for connection of storage apparatus (mainly hard disk and CD-ROM) in the computer. The SCSI is specified with several specifications and eight devices in maximum may be connected with a daisy chain in the SCSI using the data bus width of eight bits. The SCSI has been used, in the computer system, as the major interface for connecting external storage apparatuses. However, with the connection distance and the limitation on the maximum configuration which is determined with electrical characteristics, it is now very difficult to configure a large scale storage system.
In these years, therefore, an information processing system has often been established using a network such as fiber channel and Ethernet because a storage system is increased in the physical size and an information processing system is further complicated. Particularly, a storage network which has been formed using a fiber channel is widely known as a SAN (Storage Area Network). In the storage network using the fiber channel and Ethernet, a more complicated system for wider area can be configured because it is possible to use various apparatuses such as switching device, hub and router or the like in comparison with the case where the ATAPI and SCSI are used.
For operation management of a more complicated storage system, it is essential to form an operation management system and an operation management method which can realize monitoring and controlling processes through effective comprehensive operation of storage apparatus, connecting apparatus and computer.
FIG. 2 illustrates a profile of the operation management in the prior art. Since storage apparatus, connecting apparatus and computer respectively have the inherent interfaces (interfaces A, B, C in the case of FIG. 2), the comprehensive control module includes the respective interfaces (interfaces A, B, C in the case of FIG. 2) of the storage apparatus, connecting apparatus and computer and the respective comprehensive control modules (operation management applications) also include inherent interfaces (interfaces D, E, F in the case of FIG. 2). The integrated control module (moreover, the host operation management application) is requested to include respective interfaces (interfaces D, E, F in the case of FIG. 2) for comprehensive operation with the respective interfaces of the comprehensive control module. Moreover, for the comprehensive operation with the other comprehensive control modules, respective comprehensive control modules are requested to perform the comprehensive process via the provided interfaces.
As described above, the operation management system of the prior art has no mutual connection capability among the operation management applications because two interfaces of the first interface for the apparatus as the operation management object and the second interface provided with the operation management application which is realized using the first interface are not specified simultaneously.